soundoff(6 Responses)

Lea

Use of electric shocks on disabled students.

Thank you for the excellent report regarding the use of electric shocks on disabled students. Decades of scientific Thank you for highlighting the terrible techniques this MA school uses against its students. I am imagining the school is receiving public funding. Outrageous. Just because the students at this school cannot express themselves, doesn't justify how they have been treated: worse than cattle. the Rotenberg Cente should be closed and staff and director charged of abuse.

June 8, 2012 at 7:10 pm |

Americal68

typical in Mass. ask the sherriff of Pinal Co. Az. once headmaster of a Mass. school where he took kids home for fun times, cause "he loved them"

June 8, 2012 at 12:35 pm |

Pauline N. Fromer

Thank you, Mr. Cooper. I really don't know what we would or could do if you stopped revealing these incredible stories.
I just hope that the funds collected for the Veterans will be once again a subject for you to research so that eventually the money goes to the disabled Veterans.
Pauline N. Fromer Capestrano Italy

June 7, 2012 at 8:43 pm |

susan anthony-potter

I am deeply saddened and disturbed that the shock devices have not been removed from this facility for autistic children. Why did Mr. Israel only receive probation? This man should be in jail. I'd like to see him in a court of law "demonstrating" how tolerable and reasonable it is to receive up to 70 shocks in a three hour period of time!

The fact that this facility is still operating as it has been (and continuing to use the shock devices) demonstrates how DE-REGULATION has affected our health care system. Very little oversight for mental health facilities, nursing homes, LTACS. Very, very sad! Thank you for giving the poor children in this facility some air time! Please stay on this story!

June 7, 2012 at 4:38 pm |

Nina elsow

Thank you for the excellent report regarding the use of electric shocks on disabled students. Decades of scientific research show that the use of Applied Behavior Analysis improves, and in many cases eliminates self-injury behaviors. We have a choice between saving the life of innocent children, or not harming the financial interest of the Rotenberg Center.

June 7, 2012 at 3:57 pm |

Laura

Hi, I watched your segment on the topic of the use of a 'shock device' on a student. I have never heard of a non-medical person having the authority to administer any type of invasive therapy/procedures. So, I ask...who administered this 'treatment'? If NOT a physician, then exactly what ARE the requirements for administering such. Electricity is highly dangerous, to say the least. Now, there has been success with a therapy known as ECT. BUT the protacol for such...is SEVERE DEPRESSION, not antaganistic behavior. The treatmnet option of ECT, has always been administered by a physician in a hospital setting, in a controlled setting...such as the operating room, with monitors & equipment availability. Never is it given over & over. There is usually a short term memory loss that follows. As barbaric as an induced seziure may be...I have seen it work for some, but ONLY for adults with severe depression after all other medications/therapies ahve been tried & failed. So, if this facility has been utilizing a 'shock device'...who authorized it, what were the reasons for such, what prior forms of treatment were put into practice first, did the parents receive documented information & give their signed consent, is the facility been given clearence to administer this type of 'treatment', how many patients have received this, how many times & over what length of time???? Something just doesn't sound right to me. I suspect someone is profiting from this in some kind of way, someone has connections as to be so very bold with this going on for some time now. I'd look into the facility administrator, medical personel, insurance companies (someone is paying for it). 'Shocking someone with electricity must be taken seriously...and if this facility is so slack about this, they surely are slack about much more.